Methods and systems for endorsing search results

• US 20070203887A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Dynin, Misha
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

Methods and systems for improving user search experience with a search engine by providing a way for associated users to create and share personalized lists of article identifiers through endorsements of articles. Search endorsements can be used to personalize the search engine'"'"'s ranking of articles by offering a way for users to re-rank the article identifiers for themselves and for those who trust them.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving endorsement information characterizing a user'"'"'s ranking of various articles;

receiving a first search query; and

responding to the first search query with information describing a first result set responsive to the first search query, wherein

the first result set includes a first of the various articles, and

the information describing the first result set includes an identifier indicating that endorsement information characterizing the user'"'"'s ranking of the first article has been received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the endorsement information comprises receiving profiles of members in a member network, wherein the profiles include the endorsement information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the endorsement information comprises receiving:

a second search query;

an article identifier identifying the first article, wherein the first article is responsive to the second search query; and

a numeric rating of the first article associated with the article identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second search query is identical to the first search query.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the second search query is relevant to the first search query.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the information describing the first search result set comprises the article identifier.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the rating of the first article comprises one or more of:

a binary positive or negative rating,

a scaled grade, and

a comment characterizing the user'"'"'s ranking of the first article.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the first search query comprises receiving the first search from a first user outside of the member network.

9. The method claim 8, wherein receiving the endorsement information comprises receiving a profile of second member in the member network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising identifying that the second member is implicitly associated with the first member based on the second member'"'"'s profile containing information relevant to the first search query.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the endorsement information comprises receiving the endorsement information from the second member who is provided with a financial incentive to endorse the first article.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the first search query comprises receiving the first search query from a first member in the member network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the endorsement information characterizing the user'"'"'s ranking of the first article comprises receiving the endorsement information characterizing the ranking of a second member in the member network, wherein the second member is associated with the first member in the member network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first user'"'"'s profile indicates that the second member is associated with the first member.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second member'"'"'s profile includes information relevant to the first search query received from the first member.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the endorsement information comprises receiving the endorsement information from the second member who is provided with a financial incentive to endorse the first article.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the endorsement information comprises a first article identifier that identifies the first article and a ranking of the first article; and

the first search result set comprises the first article identifier.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein responding to the first search query comprises:

receiving information describing a second result set that includes articles that are responsive to the first search query;

receiving information describing a third result set that is determined independently from the first search query; and

merging the second result set with the third result set to generate the information describing the first result set.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the third result set is a subset of the second result set.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein:

receiving the information describing the third result set comprises receiving information describing matches of the third result set with the endorsement information; and

responding to the first search query comprises providing information describing the third result set and the match information.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving endorsement information comprises receiving the endorsement information independent or any search query.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises

re-ranking an order of the various articles in the first result set based on the endorsement information.

40. The method of claim 1 wherein

re-ranking the order of the various articles comprises ranking the first article in the first result set above a second article for which endorsement information has not been received when, in the absence of endorsement information, the second article would be more relevant to the first search query than the first article.

42. The method of claim 1 wherein responding to the first search query further comprises

arranging information describing the first article relative to information describing a second article to indicate the first article is more relevant to the first search query than the second article.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein the rating of the first article comprises a scaled grade.

53. The method of claim 1, wherein the rating of the first article comprises a comment characterizing the user'"'"'s ranking of the first article.

17. An article comprising one or more computer-readable media on which is encoded program code operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving endorsement information characterizing a user'"'"'s rankings of various articles;

receiving a first search query; and

responding to the first search query with information describing a first result set responsive to the first search query, wherein

the first result set includes a first of the various articles, and

the information describing the first result set includes an identifier indicating that endorsement information characterizing the user'"'"'s ranking of the first article has been received.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein receiving the endorsement information of endorsed articles comprises:

receiving profiles of members in a member network, wherein, the profiles include the endorsement information of the endorsed articles.

19. The article of claim 17, wherein receiving the endorsement information comprises receiving:

a second search query;

an article identifier for identifying the first article, wherein the first article is responsive to the second search query; and

a numeric rating of the first article associated with the article identifier.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the second search query is identical to the first search query.

21. The article of claim 19, wherein the second search query is relevant to the first search query.

22. The article of claim 19, wherein the information describing the first result set comprises the article identifier.

23. The article of claim 19, wherein the rating of the first article comprises one or more of:

a binary positive or negative rating result,

a scaled grade, and

a comment characterizing the user'"'"'s ranking of the first article.

24. The article of claim 18, wherein receiving the first search query comprises receiving the first search query from a first user outside of the member network.

25. The article of claim 24, wherein receiving the endorsement information comprises receiving a profile of a second member in the member network.

26. The article of claim 25, further comprising identifying that the second member is implicitly associated with the first member based on the second member'"'"'s profile containing information relevant to the first search query.

27. The article of claim 25, wherein receiving the endorsement information comprises receiving the endorsement information from the second member who is provided with a financial incentive to endorse the first article.

28. The article of claim 27, wherein receiving the first search query comprises receiving the first search query from a first member in the member network.

29. The article of claim 28, wherein receiving the endorsement information characterizing the user'"'"'s ranking of the first article comprises receiving the endorsement information characterizing the ranking of a second member in the member network, wherein the second member is associated with the first member in the member network.

30. The article of claim 29, wherein the first member'"'"'s profile indicates that the second member is associated with the first member.

31. The article of claim 29, wherein the second member'"'"'s profile includes information relevant to the first search query received from the first member.

32. The article of claim 29, wherein receiving the endorsement information comprises receiving the endorsement information from the second member who is provided with a financial incentive to endorse the first article.

43. The article of claim 17, wherein:

the endorsement information comprises a first article identifier that identifies the first article and a ranking of the first article; and

the first search result set comprises the first article.

44. The article of claim 17, wherein responding to the first search query comprises:

receiving information describing a second result set that includes articles that are responsive to the first search query;

receiving information describing a third result set that is determined independently from the first search query; and

merging the second result set with the third result set to generate the information describing the first result set.

45. The article of claim 44, wherein the third result set is a subset of the second result set.

46. The article of claim 44, wherein receiving the information describing the third result set comprises receiving information describing matches of the third result set mixed with the endorsement information;

and

responding to the first search query comprises providing information describing the third result set and match information.

47. The article of claim 17, wherein the receiving endorsement information comprises

receiving the endorsement information independent of any search query.

48. The article of claim 17, wherein

re-ranking an order of the various articles in the first result set based on the endorsement information.

49. The article of claim 17, wherein

re-ranking the order of the various articles comprises ranking the first article in the first result set above a second article for which endorsement information has not been received when, in the absence of endorsement information, the second article would be more relevant to the first search query than the first article.

51. The article of claim 17, wherein responding to the first search query further comprises

arranging information describing the first article relative to information describing a second article to indicate the first article is more relevant to the first search query than the second article.

54. The article of claim 17, wherein the rating of the first article comprises a scaled grade.

55. The article of claim 17, wherein the rating of the first article comprises a comment characterizing the user'"'"'s ranking of the first article.

33. A method comprising:

receiving information characterizing a relationship between a first member and a second member in a member network;

receiving a first search query submitted by the first member;

responding to the first search query with a) first links to a collection of articles in a first result set, wherein the articles are responsive to the first search query and b) one or more second links for receiving input characterizing the first member'"'"'s rankings of the articles in the collection;

receiving the first member'"'"'s selection of a second link for receiving input characterizing the first member'"'"'s ranking of a first of the articles in the first search result set;

storing the information characterizing the first member'"'"'s ranking;

receiving a second search query submitted by the second member, wherein the second search query that is identical or relevant to the first search query;

determining a second result set that includes a second collection of articles that are responsive to the second search query;

and

merging the second search result set with the information characterizing the first member'"'"'s ranking to provide the second member with information describing the second result set and the availability of the information characterizing the first member'"'"'s ranking.

56. The method of claim 33, wherein the rating of the first article comprises a scaled grade.

57. The method of claim 33, wherein the rating of the first article comprises a comment characterizing the member'"'"'s ranking of the first article.

41. (canceled)

50. (canceled)